As a pet owner, you understand the gravity of a decision like adoption. You commit to the time and expense of caring for your pet for life, providing them with nutritious food, effective training, regular vet visits, and plenty of playtime and attention.
Juggling all of these tasks can be difficult, especially for busy professionals with demanding work obligations. As the American Kennel Club highlights, most dogs need a minimum of two hours of time to socialize with humans or other dogs per day, and they don’t fare well on a life spent in isolation.
Fortunately, there are simple strategies you can implement to ensure your pets lead a happy and fulfilling life. Here are some tips for balancing your career with your four-legged friend’s health and happiness.
Consider professional services.
You can’t be everywhere at once, and it’s okay to get help from others. For example, you may not have the time or expertise to groom your poodle’s high-maintenance coat and choose to take her to a groomer. Or, if you take frequent business trips, you might need someone you can consistently rely on to feed your cats and clean their litter boxes while you’re out of town.
Depending on your needs, look for pet care services like:
- Dog daycare: Owners drop their pets off with a team of trained caregivers before going to work and pick them up in the afternoon.
- Dog boarding: Owners drop their dogs or other pets off at the facility, usually overnight or longer when going on trips.
- Pet grooming: Professional groomers offer various services, including bathing, brushing, detangling, and nail trimming.
- Pet sitting: A qualified pet sitter will visit your home to feed, walk, and play with your pets while you’re away.
- Dog walking: The walker will take your pet out for a walk during the day to help them get exercise while you work.
If you have specific needs or requirements, consider more niche businesses. For instance, cat owners often choose cat-only boarding facilities to lessen their feline’s anxiety.
How to Select a Pet Care Professional
Putting your pet into someone else’s care can be a daunting task—how do you know you can trust them? When selecting a pet care facility, ask these questions:
- Do staff have the necessary training, certifications, and experience to care for pets? Can you describe the training process?
- Are you prepared to address emergencies or medical issues?
- How do you promote a healthy, hygienic environment? What are your cleaning procedures, and how do you manage shared surfaces, toys, bowls, etc.?
- Can I tour your facility, or can a staff member come over while I’m home to meet my pet before their first session?
- How do you manage behavioral challenges? What policies do you have in place to protect other animals?
- How do you communicate with owners?
- What are your rates and payment policies?
- Do you do anything extra to meet pets’ comfort, enrichment, and socialization needs?
Additionally, Gingr’s guide to dog daycare ideas recommends looking for a facility that engages both the dogs and their owners, showing that they value both of these connections. Things like pet report cards, regular updates about your pet, and loyalty programs signal that the facility effectively engages its human clients.
Establish a daily routine.
You likely have a daily routine that promotes healthy habits and productivity. Your pets are also creatures of habit, and they thrive on a reliable daily routine.
Veterinarian Sam Gilbert explains that dogs and cats both respond positively to routines, especially for feeding and playtimes. Here are some ways to build a consistent daily routine:
- Prioritize consistency. Building a habit can take weeks—or even months. Performing the same routine each day will make the tasks feel second nature.
- Start small. As mentioned, feeding and playtime are the most important elements to incorporate into your routine. Start by designating specific times for each of these tasks. Your cats may eat breakfast at 8:00 AM, have dinner at 6:00 PM, and enjoy an hour of playtime at 7:00 PM.
- Pay attention to your pets. Are they getting enough playtime, or are they still a bundle of energy after the session? Do they seem ravenous by dinner time, or do they pick at their food?
- Consider changing seasons. Embrace the changes that various seasons bring by making small tweaks to your routine. For instance, you might switch to longer morning walks with your dog during winter months when it gets dark earlier in the day.
Remember to include activities in your schedule that will strengthen the bond between you and your pet. This may be as simple as taking five or ten minutes to groom your dog each evening or reading while your cat naps on your lap.
Take advantage of time off & benefits.
As Astron Solutions’ guide to compensation highlights, many companies take a total rewards approach when compensating their employees—in other words, they consider both direct and indirect forms of compensation. These indirect forms of compensation can include additional benefits like lots of paid time off, employer 401k matches, and insurance.
Take advantage of benefits that could help you spend more quality time with your pets. For instance, take a day of paid personal time to care for your pet when they’re sick or simply to spend a day at the park. Or, use volunteer time off (VTO) to volunteer with rescues at your local shelter.
Companies offer these perks as a part of their compensation plans and employee appreciation programs, so make use of them—you’ll likely improve your mental health, work-life balance, and productivity at the same time.
Explore technological solutions.
Technology can help you watch and care for your pets even when you aren’t home. Consider options like:
- Automatic feeders that release food at a set time, preserving your pet’s feeding routine.
- Pet cameras that allow you to supervise pets and even speak to them.
- GPS collars that show your pet’s exact location (great for outdoor dogs!).
- Pet sitting apps that make hiring and overseeing these services simple.
- Smart litter boxes that (automatically) keep your cat’s environment clean.
These solutions can take time-consuming or unpleasant tasks off your plate while maintaining a clean, safe environment for your pets. Plus, you can interact with them even when you’re away, helping soothe behavioral issues and anxiety.
Being a good pet owner is about more than just checking off boxes on a to-do list. It’s about forging a lifelong bond full of trust with your pet, meeting their unique needs, and giving them the highest quality of care possible.
Although it’s challenging, you can do this as a busy professional by offering a warm home, providing plenty of love and affection, and leveraging other services and technological shortcuts when you need to.
Casey Dorman
Hi, I’m Casey! I’m the Sales Manager at Gingr software. Originally from Indianapolis, I now live in Colorado with my wife and dog, Dexter. Our hobbies include hiking, skiing, and visiting local breweries.
